Friday, August 3, 2012

CD Review: Metal Blade Records Unleashes Kings, Pistols And Firebirds

New music arrived on July 31st from Metal Blade Records. King of Asgard released a new album of original material, while the U.S. got their first taste of music from Gentleman’s Pistol and Firebird to the delight of metal fans everywhere.

Death metal band, King of Asgard released their second album entitled “…to North.” The band continued along the lines of their debut album, combining their dark metal sound with medieval themes to give off an evilness to their new album.

After a “call to arms” introduction, King of Asgard blasts the doors down with the speed drumming and aggressive vocals of “The Nine Worlds Burn.” The band continues with the guitar solo driven “Gap of Ginnungs”and the loud guitar riffs of “Bound To Reunite.” The one song that stands out is “Up On The Mountain” with its use of acoustic guitars and vocal chorus as the band come together on this “Lord of the Rings” themed song. The album closes with the title song, “…to North” as a piano introduction get overtaken by guitars on this grand instrumental.

British hard rock band Gentleman’s Pistols are getting their debut album re-released in the U.S. for the first time through Metal Blade Records. The sound on their debut album echoes back to when the New Wave of British Heavy Metal took over U.S. shores. They show off their speed on “Out of the Eye” before turning to the dark side on the sixties sounding metal song “Heavy Petting.” The album’s most mainstream songs are the seventies classic rock sounding “Widow Maker” and “Lying & Fooling” as the duel guitars take over. The album closes with the classic British blues groove of “Parking Banshee.”

Gentleman’s Pistols just performed at the Welsh Steelhouse Festival at the end of July. For more information, please visit gentlemanspistols.com.

British blues-rock trio, Firebird is getting their 2006 album,“Hot Wings” re-released. While the band may have called it quits earlier this year, their music brings you back to the hard rock of the late-sixties with band like Cream and Deep Purple.

Beginning with up-tempo “Carousel” and the deep bass groove of “Good Times,” Firebird were hitting on all cylinders on this album. The back-country rock of “Misty Mountain” shows how diverse this band was, while “Flying Blind” gives off a much-welcomed attitude to their music. The album closes with the big bluesy sound of “Needle In The Groove.”